Pasta dinner to help Eagle Scout backpack project

Pasta dinner to help Eagle Scout backpack project

CUMBERLAND - Eagle Scout candidate Michael Denman is holding a pasta dinner to help fund his Eagle project of filling backpacks with personal care items for children in transition.

The pasta dinner will take place Saturday, Aug. 2, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the parish hall of St. Joseph Church, 1303 Mendon Road, Ashton. The price of dinner is $8.

Denman is also taking monetary donations and donations of the following items: school-style backpacks; small to medium-size blankets; pajamas, all sizes from 12 months to adult small and medium; socks, all sizes; hats and mittens; underwear sizes 2T up to adult medium; toothbrushes and toothpaste; combs/brushes and hair elastics, barrettes; shampoo and conditioner; soap or body wash; maxi-pads; deodorant; diapers sizes 2-5; baby wipes; activity or coloring books and crayons; fabric/board style books for toddlers; chapter books for youth and young adults; baby bottles or sippy cups; stuffed animals; pens, pencils, or markers; notebooks; stickers.

According to Denman, "Every year hundreds of children in hospitals and emergency rooms enter protective custody. Sometimes a parent is too ill to care for them, a home is not safe for them to return, or there is no home due to fire or other disaster. These children often have to leave their homes in a hurry and cannot take anything with them.

"My goal is to collect backpacks and other personal care items for the hospital to have on hand. When there is a child in need, an age appropriate backpack filled with needed items will be given to them."